Ridley (name)

Ridley is a surname and given name that originated from locations in Cheshire, Kent, Northumberland, and Essex counties in England. The name derives from Old English, either hrēod (reeds) + lēah (wood or clearing), or rydde (cleared land) + lēah.

Surname

 * Aaron Ridley, British philosopher
 * Aaron J. Ridley, American atmospheric researcher
 * Adam Ridley (born 1942), British economist
 * Alan Ridley (1910–1993), Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s
 * Alice Tan Ridley (born 1952), gospel and R&B singer
 * Andrew Ridley (born 1968), Australian cricketer
 * Arnold Ridley (1896–1984), English actor
 * Bill Ridley (1934–2019), American basketball player
 * Brian Ridley (born 1931), British solid-state physicist
 * Calvin Ridley (born 1994), American football player
 * Cicely Ridley (1927–2008), British-American applied mathematician
 * Cyril Ridley (1895–1920), British World War I flying ace
 * Daisy Ridley (born 1992), English actress
 * Dave Ridley (1916–1998), Welsh footballer
 * David Ridley (born 1954), English cricketer
 * F. A. Ridley (1897–1994), British marxist, secularist, and writer
 * Fred Ridley (born 1952), American amateur golfer and golf administrator
 * Florida Ruffin Ridley (1861–1943), African-American civil rights activist, teacher, writer, and editor
 * Gary Ridley (1945-2022), American engineers
 * George Ridley (Labour politician) (1886–1944), British Member of Parliament
 * George Ridley (Whig politician) (1818–1887), British Member of Parliament
 * Greg Ridley (1942–2003), English rock bassist
 * Harold Ridley (Jesuit) (1939–2005), President of Loyola College, Maryland (1994–2005)
 * Harold Ridley (ophthalmologist) (1906–2001), English ophthalmologist
 * Henry Nicholas Ridley (1855–1956), English botanist
 * Humphrey Ridley (1653–1708), English physician
 * Ian Ridley (1934–2008), Australian rules footballer
 * Jack Ridley (engineer) (1919–2006), New Zealand civil engineer and politician
 * Jack Ridley (pilot) (1915–1957), American aeronautical engineer, and U.S. Air Force test pilot and officer
 * James Ridley (footballer), English footballer
 * Jane Ridley (born 1953), British biographer
 * Jasper Nicholas Ridley (1887–1951), British banker
 * Jasper Ridley (1920–2004), British writer known for historical biographies
 * Jeanne Clare Ridley (1925–2007), American sociologist, statistician, and demographer
 * John Ridley (born 1965), American film director, actor, and writer
 * John Ridley (footballer) (1952–2020), English soccer player
 * John Ridley (inventor) (1806–1887), best known for "Ridley's Stripper"
 * John S. Ridley (1882–1934), Canadian politician
 * Lancelot Ridley (died 1576), divinity rector of Stretham and father of physician Mark Ridley
 * Mabel Ridley (1895–1938), African-American singer
 * Michael Ridley (born 1955), English author, archaeologist and orientalist
 * Malcolm Ridley (born 1966), actor and writer
 * Mark Ridley (physician) (1560–1624), English physician and mathematician
 * Mark Ridley (zoologist) (born 1956), English zoologist
 * Matt Ridley (born 1958), British science writer, financier
 * Matthew Ridley, 1st Viscount Ridley (1842–1904), British politician and statesman
 * Roy Ridley (1890–1969), academic, writer and poet
 * Mike Ridley (born 1963), ice hockey centre
 * Nicholas Ridley (martyr) (died 1555), English bishop
 * Nicholas Ridley, Baron Ridley of Liddesdale (1929–1993), British politician
 * Philip Ridley (born 1964), British artist
 * Riley Ridley (born 1996) American football player
 * Rita Ridley (1946–2013), English runner
 * Rosalind Ridley (born 1949) Neuropsychologist
 * Stevan Ridley (born 1989), American football player
 * Yvonne Ridley (born 1958), English journalist

Given name

 * Ridley Jacobs (born 1967), West Indian cricketer
 * Ridley Pakenham-Walsh (1888–1966), British general
 * Ridley Scott (born 1937), English film director
 * Ridley Pearson (born 1953), American Author